


New Beginnings

by Neko_Positive



Series: Neko’s Fantabulous, Totally-Awesome Collection Of Gift-Fics For A Few Of Her Wonderful Gods [5]
Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Age Difference, First Kiss, Fluff, Gift Fic, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Younger!Prompto, older!noctis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23871061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neko_Positive/pseuds/Neko_Positive
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum, in spite of Ignis and Gladiolus, has fallen victim to loneliness, surrounded primarily by payed subordinates, and has yet to come across someone who could capture his interest. One day his advisor sets up a photoshoot with a magazine onto his schedule, and the king reluctantly complies and sets out to conclude the affair.Upon his arrival, however, he cannot seem to focus on what he's doing; instead, he's accidentally become enchanted with the young blonde photographer behind the camera, and cannot help but grasp at the hopeful opportunity.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Neko’s Fantabulous, Totally-Awesome Collection Of Gift-Fics For A Few Of Her Wonderful Gods [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589773
Comments: 35
Kudos: 113





	1. The First Half

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IRMA_VEP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IRMA_VEP/gifts).



> Okay, let me just start off by saying that I am _so_ sorry that this has taken so long to get out, I've been having the most surprising difficulty writing this story, I think my brain might be dying XD
> 
> As such, I decided to just upload half of it for the time being, because I'm merely tired of not uploading ^^'
> 
> Nevertheless!!! Dearest Irma, this gift-fic is for you, your support has meant the absolute world to me, and I'll never forget how much it helped me during my times of stress. You are a legit angel, and I hope to every god out there that you manage to enjoy this first portion; that sentiment also goes to everyone else who decides to give this a shot!!! <33333

“Okay, Your Majesty, how about a smile?”

Noctis Lucis Caelum, the King of Lucis, was currently seated on a chair that had been placed perfectly underneath a surrounding array of differing spotlights, the section behind him cut off by an ivory paper backdrop. The man’s advisor had assigned a photoshoot for _Insomnia Magazine_ onto his agenda for the day, and he had eventually run out of excusing things to attend to first before he’d been forced to begrudgingly get pampered by Ignis himself, his hair having been styled to perfection, his face clean-shaven, and his raiment ever so regal. Once he had been deemed adequate enough, he had been tossed out of his apartment to make his own way over to the room in the Citadel where it was all taking place.

His advisor’s instructions had been rather simple; show up, sit down, smile, stay attentive, don’t fall asleep, and keep any and all grievances he had to himself—nothing overly strenuous, the king had supposed.

However, despite it being the primary action that the activity entailed from him, Noctis quickly discovered that ever since he had arrived, he couldn’t quite keep his focus on the camera that was pointing at him.

Instead, his curious gaze kept falling back to the beautiful blonde male behind the lens that was speaking to him whilst the camera flashed, exclaiming out notions of encouragement, praising him for the expressions that he pulled on. 

He seemed young, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, with a delightfully warm smattering of freckles adorning the pale skin of his face. His eyes were cerulean, his surprisingly fetching gaze only enhanced by his soft and attractive features, and his bubbly voice cast an aura of exuberance, entirely adorable.

But besides all of that, there was just some peculiar quality that he held, something magnetic and loveable in those stark blue eyes, that winsome smile. Noctis had found himself infatuated before he even knew it, and the sheer velocity at which his insides had begun to sparkle with these emotions for this stranger was truly enigmatic.

“Okay,” said boy suddenly announced after taking another shot of him, drawing the king away from his absorbed thoughts, “I think I’ve definitely gotten what I needed, Your Majesty.”

“So… we’re finished?” Noctis asked mildly after a second, his voice hinting at the surprise he felt at how fleetingly the time had passed. 

“Yes, I believe we are all done!” the blonde confirmed with an oblivious smile, his features quickly growing more controlled after his breezy exclamation, “And before you leave, please allow me to genuinely thank you for making the time in your schedule to partake in and cooperate with our publication, Your Majesty.”

Noctis almost laughed at that, noting how even the sound of this boy’s formalities was endlessly endearing. “No problem.” 

The boy grinned at him. Noctis smiled back charmingly.

“And um,” he said much softer after a moment, his cheeks tinting slightly with colour, “Thank you for your patience, as well. I’m sure you must get this all the time, but… you’ve really been a dream to work with!”

The king paused for a moment of genuine surprise, but gradually, his features softened with amusement. “I must say, I really don’t get that very often,” he chuckled freely, humoured by the unfamiliar words, “Some troubling clients in your field, I take it?”

The photographer shot him a seasoned smile. “You’d be surprised, Your Majesty.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” the raven replied swiftly, disregarding self-control in favour of scratching at an urge that had bubbled up within him, “I mean, I could never understand how anyone could give any trouble to someone as cute as yourself.”

The boy just stared at him blankly, his features buffering as if he was carefully replaying the words in his head, another moment passing right before his face instantly flamed over with colour, his entire frame stiffening.

“A-Ah! T-That’s…!” finally came the tight response, embarrassment visually taking hold of the boy’s features, “T-Thank you, Your Majesty…!” he squeaked out highly, his abrupt bout of shyness almost comical. 

“You’re very welcome,” Noctis replied smoothly.

An impressively strained smile and rosy blush was soon all he was being given. “B-But yes, even- even so…” 

The king just grinned to himself, the reactions beyond adorable. The thought of discovering every other kind he could reap from the blonde sent a lively tingle down his spine. “Forgive me if I’m just wasting your time by asking,” he stated after a few moments had passed, his tone ever so nonchalant, “but would you mind if I saw some of your handiwork?”

“N-No, not at all!” the blonde quickly replied, spinning around and somewhat scrambling for his camera. “I apologize for the lack of variety; I figured that shoulder level shots would best fit the format of the magazine’s cover.”

Whilst he was no expert in photography in the slightest, gazing into the brightly lit screen of the camera, Noctis could still discern and admire first-rate and flattering pictures when he saw them.

“Well, let me be the first to say that these look really good,” he complimented, humming in admiration, “I’m sure your boss will be impressed.” 

“Y-You really think so?” the boy laughed timidly, scratching the back of his head, clearly abashed.

The king gave a quick nod, keeping his eyes on the blonde. The photographer had told him his name when he had walked through the door, and it was right on the tip of his tongue. “…Prompto, was it?” he ended up trying.

“A-Ah, yes!” the blonde quickly confirmed, his smile both radiant and nervous, “That’s me.”

“You seem a tad uncomfortable, if you don’t mind me saying,” the raven noted benevolently, “Is this your first time doing something like this in the Citadel?”

That warranted a sheepish look. “Is it that obvious...?” 

Noctis shrugged, his smile gentle. “Just a bit.”

“To be honest, Your Majesty, I’m still just a student,” the boy, Prompto, admitted softly after a few moments, “so I haven’t done anything even nearly as high-profile as this; but thankfully, the company that I’m working for gave this opportunity to me since the original photographer who’d been assigned to take your picture got sick. But… I’m really grateful that I’ve been given such an amazing chance to prove myself.”

Something in those words blossomed forth a small bud of concern within the king. Keeping it casual, Noctis stretched his arms out as he began to speak. “You… must be pretty young, then? To still be a student?”

To his surprise, Prompto gave a laugh. “I’m actually twenty.”

The king processed that stupendous information, letting it stir delicately in his mind.

“In that case, I must say that you age quite nicely,” he joked, keeping his mannerisms light and blasé, “You must already have a girlfriend and everything, then?”

“Ah- actually, I unfortunately don’t…” Prompto responded after a moment, a curiously doleful frown taking hold of his features, “Because I’m still a student, I… you know, I don’t really make- like, a whole lot of money. At all, really. And I guess that’s… not an attractable feature, to others.”

Noctis made sure to keep his expression calm. “So, you are still looking?”

Prompto stayed silent for a few moments, the ambience having turned rather tender. “I mean, I am, but- honestly, Your Majesty, I’m not very good at… dating,” he confessed quietly, gaze having turned somewhat vulnerable, “I get really awkward at times like that, and start saying things that I totally don’t mean, and end up messing things up. It’s been so long that at this point… I mean, I’d really be fine with anyone, y’know...?” 

The boy took a breath, staring blankly at the floor beneath them. “As much as I love my job, I have to move around a lot, and… well, it gets pretty lonely at times. It’d just be really nice, always knowing that I have a special someone in my life to come back to, y’know?”

Noctis watched him silently, ignoring the beating of his heart. A few moments passed by lazily.

“A-Ah, but I won’t give up!” Prompto hastily assured in a fretful voice as he seemingly snapped back to life, apparently realizing only then how longing he was sounding to the ruler of their kingdom, “Don’t worry about me, I’m sure that somebody, somewhere, would be willing to spark that special connection between us! I’ll just have to be ready for when it eventually happens!”

A forced and short-lived laugh followed the words, the blonde taking a second before he was just gazing hesitantly at the king, seemingly mortified. “Damn, I’m sorry for suddenly going full-blown, personal deep-diving with you, Your Majesty…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Noctis assured in an honest voice, “I think it’s cool that you’re willing to open up about this stuff.”

“O-Oh. That’s good, I guess…” Prompto nodded gently, his timid smile gradual, “Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time, so I guess that our business is concluded, then? Unless there is something else that you’d like for me to do, Your Majesty?”

Noctis took in the form of the beautiful boy before him, staring up at him with those strikingly blue eyes. It was clearly evident that he yearned for companionship, much like he himself was, and yet by some outrageous anomaly, nobody was willing to give it to him. So unbelievable was it, that the raven didn’t even hesitate before speaking.

“Actually, there is,” the king stated cleanly, simply uncaring as to how forward he was suddenly coming across, “Do you mind telling me if you’ve got any plans for later today?” 

Prompto blinked. “I… do you wish to take more photos at a later time, Your Majesty?” he asked, his voice clearly confused.

“No, not at all. Yours were perfect.”

“Then I… I’m afraid I don’t follow…” the blonde admitted sheepishly, “Is there something else that you’d like from me?”

“Yes, actually, there is,” Noctis announced decisively, his placid heart unexpectedly fluttery as he continued, “You see, the life of royalty is honestly a lot lonelier than you might think it’d be. But it seems like, in your own way, you might somewhat understand how I feel; as such, I was hoping that perhaps you could give us a chance to get better acquainted. Would that be a problem for you?”

Prompto gaped at him. 

Time continued to roll by in absolute silence.

“Do you require assistance?”

“N-No…” the blonde eventually whispered, his frame seemingly paralyzed, “I’m- just kind of trying to process what’s happening right now…”

“I’m asking you out,” Noctis stated bluntly, frowning to himself, “Sorry, I thought that you had gotten that.”

Prompto continued to look disabled. “O-Oh.”

“Surely, you’ve been asked out before?”

“Not by any kings, no…”

“I guess that makes sense…” Noctis conceded, nodding slowly to himself, “But you know, dating royalty isn’t much different than dating a regular citizen.”

“I’m not- I’m not sure that’s right…”

“If it makes you feel better, your lack of money most definitely isn’t a problem for me,” the raven added thoughtfully, “If anything, it’s a plus.” 

“I don’t- really see how…? Unless you think that I…“ the blonde trailed off, his features somehow growing even more strained, “I- uh, I don’t mean to offend you, Your Majesty, but I’m… I’m not willing to get paid for- like, any royal booty calls or anything…” 

Noctis snorted flatly, purposefully shaking his head. “It isn’t sex that I’m interested in,” came his adamant response, “it’s more than that. I want to get to know you better, to make a connection; I want something real. And you… you seem absolutely perfect for me.”

Prompto blushed from where he stood, the pretty sheen delicate and alluring on his skin. 

A beat passed. “But don’t get me wrong, I would very much like to get acquainted with your body, as well.”

The flush instantly morphed into a stark crimson. 

“But… why me?” the blonde eventually spluttered out, unable to look directly into Noctis’ eyes as he stood there, fidgeting nonstop.

The king thought about it. “There’s just something about you. You seem cute, and kind, and like you’d be lots of fun. For me, that’s all I want.”

Prompto appeared to be at a loss for words. “That’s… really?”

“Yep.”

A long while passed awkwardly. Noctis just waited impatiently for the blonde to give him some type of response to his sentiment.

“Forgive me if I’m being rude, Your Majesty,” the blonde finally uttered, his features blatantly shy, “But- isn’t this a bit… unprofessional?”

Noctis contemplated the notion for a few moments. “You’re probably right. But then again, being professional is amazingly boring, and so I tend to just leave that type of thing to my advisor.” 

Prompto stood there, having gone back to gawking at him unintelligently. “I… see.”

Despite the dim connection he had hoped would thrive, Noctis couldn’t help rapidly beginning to lose hope in his ambitions at the lingering silence. “If it’s me that you aren’t interested in, it’s fine,” he eventually added, his tone having audibly deflated, “It was merely a suggestion, after all. One that you can totally ignore, if you’d prefer.”

The boy looked so uncomfortable in that very moment, biting roughly into his lip as he stood there soundlessly, that Noctis didn’t even bother waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry for making this uncomfortable for you,” the king announced with an embarrassed nod, trying to keep the chagrin out of his voice, “and I also didn’t mean to come off so brazenly, so again, I apologize.”

Noctis quickly spun around and took a step forward.

“Um!”

Noctis felt his heart jump automatically as he ceased his movements, slowly turning back around to look at the blonde. Prompto was tightly clutching at the hem of his shirt, his entire complexion having changed shades as he gazed at the king, his body remarkably taut.

“Actually, I… I don’t have anything that needs my… immediate attention, Your Majesty. If… you still want to… go somewhere, later?”

Noctis kept his intrigued gaze on the nearly quivering boy before him, the twinkling feelings from earlier hastily replacing the abrupt disappointment that had assaulted him. Furthermore, his features were soon beaming with relief. “I’d like that.”

Prompto looked like he didn’t know what to do with his body. “Then I… guess it's a date, Your Majesty?”

The king grinned. “It would seem so. And please, call me Noct.”

Prompto straightened up quickly, overly nervous at the sudden prospect. “Um-! Are you sure…? Is that… really okay?”

The king shrugged lightly, trying to conceal some of his overwhelming joy. “Such troublesome formalities should be restricted to council meetings and the such, wouldn’t you agree…?”

“But we’re in the Citadel.”

Noctis couldn’t help but laugh at that, the chime pleasantly affectionate. “Well, nobody’s around, and so I grant you permission to refer to me as Noct. As king.”

A few seconds passed by, but eventually, Prompto was shooting him a painfully cute smile, his eyes coyly glimmering up at him. “…Noct, then.”

The sight was so adorable that the king couldn’t even attempt to conceal his smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this, the next bit should be up soon! <333
> 
> Comments and kudos are literally my sustenance, feed me your validation and/or critique! XD


	2. The Long-Awaited Last Half

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The next bit should be up soon!" I said. "It will be easy" I thought. HOW WRONG I WAS ;M;
> 
> Dearest Irma, along with every other wonderful reader, I honestly cannot apologize enough for this agonizing period of inactivity...!!! Last month had been so incredibly taxing on me in ways that I simply cannot go into, and my psyche was thoroughly ruined because of it all. These last two weeks have seriously been the only real time I've spent on this update, and because of that month gap, I have NO IDEA how detached this update will feel from the first one...! 
> 
> I'm really worrying about this one, so with that in mind, _please_ take this chapter in with a grain of salt, and understand that despite it all, I really tried my best <3
> 
> Also, a countless supply of hugs to you, Irma ~❤~

It didn’t take long before the two of them had left the Citadel unannounced, sticking to a select path before bursting out onto the street, strolling casually alongside the vast buildings that made up Insomnia.

The nervous uncertainty that had once been prevalent between them had—for the most part—faded away naturally the more the time had passed, Prompto’s bubbly personality having progressively shone through the longer Noctis conversed with him, much to the raven’s ever-growing satisfaction.

A mere glance at his own inner sentiments had Noctis unable to ignore just how smitten he had already become to the excitable photographer by his side. Despite the both of them having just met, Prompto’s amiable presence was making his soul feel lighter than it had in years—the sensation had been alive so briefly, and yet already he knew that he never wanted it to end.

“…Noct?”

The king blinked, startled out of his thoughts at the sudden sound of his name being called. He looked over to Prompto at his side, the blonde gazing at him inquisitively.

“You okay? I think we lost you for a second,” he observed with a shy laugh, gesturing to his own temple, “Something on your mind?”

The king pondered on the notion. “Just you.”

The blonde faltered instantly, his cheeks visibly warming as he promptly went back to staring straight ahead.

Noctis’ following chuckle was unceremoniously interrupted by the chime of his phone suddenly going off, the sound identical to the ones that had been resounding every two minutes or so. The king dutifully ignored it once again, taking a moment before deciding to just shut his phone off altogether.

Nevertheless, Prompto clearly couldn’t refrain from taking notice of his apparent popularity. “Are you… gonna get any of those?” came the eventual inquiry, the blonde’s expression rather diffident.

Noctis thought about it for a moment. “Nope.”

“Oh,” Prompto nodded, frowning ever so slightly, “Is… something going on? Or is it private royalty stuff?” There was a fleeting pause. “A-Ah- not that I’m trying to pry or anything, I just thought that- well, I mean, I was just wondering- oh damn, I’m sorry if I-”

“Prompto, it's okay,” the king swiftly assured the babbling blonde with a consoling grin, simultaneously pondering over how even a little outburst like that could be so endearing. “You don’t have to worry, for real. It’s just my advisor, endlessly worrying over where I’ve wandered off to. Such is his forté.”

“Oh,” Prompto uttered once more, his beautiful skin warming over ever so slightly, “So… why don’t you tell him? He might be worried?”

“I’m sure he’ll live,” the raven responded with an unconcerned smile, “And besides, I’m pretty sure his pestering most likely stems from the fact that I’m supposed to announce my departure every time I leave the Citadel so that I can get somebody of official status to stalk me wherever I go. It’s just one of those mandatory things.”

Prompto began to stare at him even more intensely than usual. “So… this isn’t allowed?”

“Not really.”

A second flew by gracelessly. “And… you’re okay with that?”

Noctis shrugged nonchalantly. “Try not to think about it too much.”

“But… isn’t your safety important…?” Prompto tried slowly, his brows drawing together timidly.

“I suppose. But then again, a third wheel surely would’ve been a dampener on this date.”

The sudden, grand sigh that escaped the blonde was nothing short of diverting. “Tell me, what are the chances of me going to prison for having stolen the king away?”

Noctis shrugged once again, all too amused. “I’ll vouch for you not to be imprisoned.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Look on the bright side,” Noctis chuckled genially, giving the blonde a wink, “If I can’t manage to bribe you out, I’ll commit a crime and get locked up as well, and then we could be more than cell-buddies.”

And just like that, the blonde was letting out one of those vibrant laughs, the doting king helplessly relishing at the way the sound had his heart fervently dancing inside of his chest. “How romantic, and not at all unusual.”

Noctis grinned, shooting him a thumbs-up. “I try.”

Shortly after those words were spoken, the two found themselves at the start of a busy street lined with walk-in shops and stalls, the distance bustling with crowds and endless torrents of noise. Gazing at the watch adorning his wrist, Noctis pondered over the fact that they still had a reasonable period of time to spare before he planned for their evening meal to take place.

“Hey, what do you say to a little pre-date activity?” the king suddenly announced in a bright tone, taking a step forward and spinning around so that he was facing his companion, gesturing grandly to the thriving road before them. “Care to take a detour?”

Prompto raised a surprised brow at him. “The markets?”

“Could be fun, right?”

“Isn’t it a bit busy?” the blonde wondered out loud, “You being there could cause quite a stir, don’t you think?”

“I doubt it’ll be that bad,” Noctis countered coolly, opting to just throw caution to the wind at the chance of them spending more time together, “You game?”

Prompto hesitated faintly. “I mean- I’m not opposed to it, but-“

“Great.”

Noctis swiftly took hold of Prompto’s hand, the blonde stuttering out a surprised exclamation as he was pulled along to the raven’s suddenly heightened pace, the king laughing as the two quickly made their way into the crowd.

At his whim, they immediately began to browse along the various corner stores and stands that had been put up, taking zest at laughing at some of the more bizarre items that they came across that were for sale, the entire ordeal rapidly morphing into the pair merely relishing in one another’s company.

Of course, certain people amongst the ocean of individuals did in fact recognize their king just waltzing along the public space with this perky blonde by his side; but thankfully, their reactions didn’t seem to exceed surprised gasps and shameless stares for the most part.

Two swiftly passing hours and a great deal of walking later, and still they were on their adventure, soon finding themselves browsing through some small store that was devoid of any other customers.

“Hey, Prom,” Noctis called out warmly—inwardly delighting at the way the new nickname sounded on his tongue—as they passed by a rack of ironic sweatshirts, the king taking hold of one that had a giant cactuar printed on the front, along with the line ‘too quick for you’ stamped atop of it in a ridiculous font, and pulling it out for the blonde to see, “Think you could rock this?”

“I really couldn’t say,” Prompto admitted airily as he took in the droll design, “To be honest, I’m really more of a chocobo type of guy.”

Noctis took a moment to allow the notion to settle and swirl around in his head. “Chocobos, huh?”

Prompto paused, right before giving the raven a teasing smile. “What’s this? Have I unwittingly stumbled upon a crazy cactuar lover? Or, Six forbid—a chocobo hater?”

“Nah,” Noctis swiftly affirmed with a jovial grin of his own, “I was just thinking that it’s really fitting, actually—that you like chocobos. You somewhat remind me of them.”

The blonde groaned light-heartedly, the tone vastly indicative of a recurring subject matter. “Let me guess; it’s the hair, right?”

A responsive chuckle escaped from the king, soft and adoring. “Not quite, Prom. It’s more so that you’re just so crazily cute that I want to hug you all the time.”

Prompto’s expression immediately disintegrated with astonishment. The replacement was one of unparalleled adorableness. “A-Ah.”

“And additionally, much like a chocobo,” Noctis promptly added in a much lower voice this time, the wide smirk that had helplessly crawled onto his face ever so roguish as he pulled in closer to all but whisper into the boy’s ear, “I’d totally ride you given the chance.”

Prompto immediately choked on his own spit and tastefully coughed all over the clothes in front of them, what was left of his supposed composure having all but nosedived into a bottomless abyss of nothingness. The drastic fit took its unforgiving time to pass, the king having needed to confirm to the bewildered owner that a boy was not in fact dying in his store in the meantime, the entire ordeal concluding at the blonde merely gawking up at the raven, his mortified gaze thoroughly dumbfounded. “Y-You’re not… the most subtle of individuals, are you?”

“I may have heard the rumour.”

Prompto shot out an additional wheeze after a few moments had passed, shakily sighing to himself as he tried to recompose himself. The futile action soon morphed into him just flat-out burying his face into his hands, his features scrunched up in apparent shame as he just stood there in silence.

“Prom?” the king carefully called out at last.

Prompto didn’t react immediately to his name being called, his eventual words coming out as a mere mutter. “Jeez, I probably looked so stupid just now…”

Noctis merely blinked at him, disconcerted by the sudden gloominess. “Hardly. No matter what you do, I’d still think you’re stupidly attractive.”

A few seconds passed by, right before the blonde shyly peeked up at the king through his fingers. “I bet you say that to everybody who catches your eye...”

“Only the cool ones.”

A tiny snort resonated in the air, gentle and enlivened. “Are you always this charming with your words?”

“I’d say it’s more so savoured for special occasions.”

“And _this_ moment qualifies?”

Noctis tilted his head slightly, the gracing of a smirk accompanying his gaze. “Any moment with you would.”

In spite of it all, a small, glowing smile had gradually materialized onto Prompto’s face, a perfect adornment to the enchantingly rosy tint that was currently adorning his cheeks. “…Okay, Noct, let’s just get out of here before I literally melt from embarrassment.”

The raven gestured onward, still smiling. “After you.”

Without another word, Prompto took a calming breath and started for the door, clearly wanting nothing more than to vacate the premises—only, he ended up faltering halfway there with a sharp exclamation as his eyes locked onto the store counter, a glass contraption consisting of shelves lined with trinkets and bits of technology that meant basically nothing to Noctis.

“Wow,” the blonde breathed out before ultimately wandering over, having seemingly forgotten about his little mishap entirely as his eyes remained locked onto one of the gizmos, “Noct, quickly, you have to come and see this model…! Isn’t it just- way cool?”

Noctis quickly realized that his elated date was referring to a shiny, modern camera lying proudly at the top. It seemed to be in pristine condition, if the two-hundred thousand crown price tag was anything to go by. “Yeah, it looks pretty good,” came his honest response.

“Try amazing, Noct!” Prompto responded enthusiastically as if it were blatantly obvious, his gaze still infatuated with the machinery, “This model has only been out for a few years, it has phase detect sensors that are actually built into the imaging sensor for enhanced focus, great manageability, auto ISO and exposure, mirrorless interchangeable lenses; it seriously has some of the _best_ photo quality on the market!”

“You seem pretty taken with this thing,” Noctis laughed airily as those words soared right over his head, the raven still somewhat taken by the blonde’s lovable passion for his craft, “Why don’t you buy it?”

The blonde immediately shot the king a remarkably incredulous look. “Dude, are you kidding me? I quite like having a roof over my head, thank you very much.” Prompto gave a half-hearted laugh after he said that, but within moments, the sound was steadily replaced with a small, wistful sigh. “…This is just an awesome fantasy to appreciate.”

“What about that camera you were using earlier today? That one seemed pretty good, as well.”

“And it is,” Prompto promptly agreed with a telling nod, “But… unfortunately, it’s company equipment. I only get to use it on the job—which, for lack of a better term, totally sucks.”

“How well does the camera you actually own function, then?” Noctis inquired merely out of curiosity.

The innocent question had the blonde faltering on the spot, his new-found expression strangely unreadable. “I mean, I used to have one when I was younger, but it broke, and I couldn’t really afford a new one, so…”

The notion caught Noctis entirely by surprise. “So… you’re a photographer, without your own… camera?”

Prompto’s features visually wilted as those words echoed, his sparkling irises dimming before the raven’s very eyes. “W-Well, I’m still saving up, y’know? I don’t want to just buy whatever cheap knock-off I can find that’s just going to end up breaking and costing me even more than a proper one, or something…”

The blonde’s sentiment was hastily followed up by him trying to dismiss the subject matter altogether, but the words didn’t even manage to reach the king’s ears—instead, Noctis found himself solely fixated on the sudden frown that had taken possession of Prompto’s beautiful face, that cheerful expression completely taken over by discontented thought. Long story short, he didn’t like it. That smile of his that stubbornly retained the brightness of the sun—he wanted it back. Immediately.

So without saying another word, the king discreetly pulled out exactly two-hundred thousand crowns from his Armiger—despite having been told explicitly not to store money in there—and handed all of the various, slightly-crumpled notes to the old man behind the counter, freezing both him and Prompto in place.

“Here, for the camera,” the king stated impatiently.

“N-Noct, what the hell are you doing-?” Prompto hastily demanded, his shock palpable.

“Wow, that’s an awfully generous gift, mister,” the man chortled obliviously, still eagerly taking the money from Noctis’ hands and counting it before giving out his eventual thanks, glancing over to Prompto with a grin. “Well, the thing’s yours, kid. Better thank your friend over here.”

The man speedily excused himself to hobble on to the back—that is, right after handing Prompto their purchase, along with threatening them that there was a security system in place that would ensure they wouldn’t be getting away with stealing anything whilst he was gone.

And just like that, they were alone.

“Why-“ Prompto finally stammered out almost weakly as he gaped up at Noctis, his features steeped in something that was most certainly not the ecstatic look that the raven had been hoping for, “Noct, why would you do this…?”

“Is there a problem?” Noctis inquired confusedly, “I thought this was the one that you wanted?”

Prompto’s staggered expression didn’t dissipate. “Well- I mean, it is, but- Gods, I didn’t want for you to actually buy it for me?!”

“Why?” Noctis questioned perplexedly, “You said you couldn’t afford it, so I bought it for you, instead. I thought it would make you happy.”

Prompto’s eyes looked like they were about to burst out of his head. “N-Noct! By the Six, you can’t- you can’t just go around buying people crazy expensive things!”

“Well, you’re an exception,” the king affirmed candidly, “I’ll buy you anything you want. Okay?”

“No, Noct, not okay!” Prompto shakily glanced down at the camera that was in his hands, then hastily holding it up for Noctis to take, “I seriously cannot accept this! I won’t be able to pay you back for ages!”

The raven swiftly waved off the sentiment. “Believe me, there’s no need for you to pay me back.”

“Of course, I’d have to!” the blonde insisted in a flustered voice, “And not just that, but I’ll feel absolutely terrible up until I actually managed to!”

“It’s a gift, Prom. Would you pay somebody back after they gave you a gift?”

“I would if it costed more than my rent for the entire _month!”_

Noctis sighed exasperatedly, whispers of frustration twirling around him as he brushed his fingers through his hair, letting himself contemplate for a few moments. “…Your favourite food, then,” he eventually decided.

Prompto’s agitated features immediately dissolved in bewilderment. “What?”

“The price for the camera,” the king elaborated evenly, “Tell me what your favourite food is.”

The blonde looked like his brain was just about ready to implode. “That’s- what are you even saying…?”

“If you tell me what it is, we can go have it right now. There’s nothing that I’d rather do in the world at this very moment, so to me, that’s worth the money I spent on the camera. Then we can call it even.”

Prompto stared at the king in stunned silence, his irresolution and reluctance still painted vividly across his features, nevertheless.

“…Please, Prom?” the king quickly added hopefully, “After letting me take you to all these different places, I just figured I could buy you something nice, something that you actually needed. You’ve got such great skills, and you truly deserve a camera like this of your own.”

The blonde’s hesitation was striking. “N-Noct, I…”

Noctis leaned forward ever so slightly, his smile soft. “I would really love for you to have it.”

A deep, lingering silence emerged between them, neither of them speaking for some time. Just as Noctis was about to lose hope in the whole ordeal, Prompto took in a telling breath of air, exhaling tightly.

“Can I really… have this?” he finally whispered in the softest of voices.

“Yes, of course, you can!” Noctis laughed relievedly, placing his hands around Prompto's and guiding the camera back towards him, “It’s all yours.”

Prompto just nodded silently, his features saturated in such awe it was barely believable.

“Noctis… Gods, you really have no idea how much this means to me,” he whispered unsteadily, those appraising eyes seemingly enchanted by the machinery in his hands, a boundless smile quickly growing onto his face, lighting up every single one of his features—the sight was truly everything the king could have wanted and more. “I’ve been dreaming of having one of these new-age cameras like this for as long as I can remember, I- I cannot even…” Prompto’s trailed off waveringly, his big blue eyes eventually locking onto the king’s own, “Could I- maybe give you a hug?”

“Of course,” Noctis answered straightaway, regardless of his surprise at the unexpected offer.

In an instant, the blonde shot forwards, still taking care not to drop the camera, and wrapped his lean arms securely around the raven’s frame, securing their bodies together tightly.

An enigmatic warmth immediately began to resonate within Noctis, his heart flickering at the sensation as he genially began to return the blonde’s embrace.

“I feel like just a hug isn’t a big enough reaction for this,” Prompto suddenly mumbled against him, his voice wavering against the king’s raiment, “Noct, this is seriously like a dream come true for me, I genuinely cannot tell you how big of a deal this is to me...! To have such an extraordinary camera of my own… I feel like I need to- like, grant you a wish or something…!”

Noctis took a moment to process those overwhelmed words, right before letting out a crafty chuckle. “If you truly insist, then I suppose there is something that I’d like for you to do.”

“Wha-?”

The sentiment was cut short as Noctis pulled away and gently lifted the blonde’s chin up to face his own, their lips suddenly mere centimetres apart. Prompto instantaneously looked like he was about five seconds away from combusting, a sporadic stutter jittering out from his mouth as he gazed up into the raven’s eyes, their proximity startling. The way Prompto’s furious blush accentuated those freckles had the king unconsciously smiling with adoration.

“You’re really cute, you know that?” Noctis hummed lowly, the sound practically steeped in fascination as he took in the gorgeous sight of the face before his fingertips.

“A-Ah-ha-“ came the intelligent response.

Noctis knew that all he had to do was lean forward that little bit to close the distance between them, to finally steal a kiss from the individual who was contorting his emotions so.

And yet in that very moment, he knew that he couldn’t, and after a few seconds had passed, the king swiftly released the blonde, a gruff sigh accompanying the fleeting movement. He took a step back, missing Prompto confused expression as he spun around to leave, holding out his hand for his date to take. “Come on, let’s go and grab something to eat.”

Prompto somewhat hesitantly took his hand, and then Noctis lead them both outside of the store without them sharing another word.

Upon asking a few moments later, Prompto had shyly fessed up to long-bone steaks being one of his favourite foods, and so a steakhouse Ignis had once taken him to had marked their new destination. Despite how the notion was supposed to be exciting, the blonde had become mysteriously quiet for the entire trip, not having made any effort to initiate conversation himself, and giving heart-hearted replies to the questions Noctis made. Overall, he looked somewhat caught up in his own thoughts; nevertheless, the raven figured he was just continuing to process the fact that he had this new camera in his hands.

The restaurant Noctis chose for them had been forgivingly close to the street they were already on, and for that the king was thankful. The staff within appeared to be thrilled that he had chosen their establishment for the evening, and they had seated them both as best as they could at one of their window seats. Despite the leather benches sitting snugly on either side of the table, Noctis chose to sit right next to Prompto on the same seat, even so.

"You hungry?" the king grinned happily, subtly trying to bring back their previous mood.

"Mmh," Prompto merely nodded slowly, not adding anything else on top of it.

A minute or two of uncomfortable silence followed, Noctis having been just about ready to give in and ask what was wrong when Prompto finally looked up at him again, his expression confusingly timid.

“H-Hey, Noct,” he murmured quietly, “Were you- were you actually going to kiss me back then?”

Noctis didn’t outwardly show his surprise at that strange question shooting out of the blue, but the raven still had to take a second to answer despite having known the answer straight away. “Yes.”

“And- okay, I’m not trying to come across as slutty or desperate or anything like that, but…” the blonde took a bated breath, biting into his lip every so slightly, “…why didn’t you?”

The raven frowned, uncomprehending. “Why do you think?”

The surprisingly forlorn grimace that appeared on Prompto's face had Noctis entirely lost for words. The expression stayed adhered to the blonde as he continued to stare down at the polished tabletop, right before slowly swallowing. “Um… I figured you had second thoughts, about doing something like that, with… someone like me…?”

The king let in a shocked intake of breath, finally understanding what was going on, and made haste to immediately dismiss the notion. “I can promise you that that’s not it, Prom.”

Unsurprisingly, Prompto's dejection didn't dissolve. “So then… why?”

Noctis turned to face the blonde directly, his voice wholly genuine. “I didn’t stop because I wanted to, but rather because I felt that you’d simply go along with it because you felt you had no choice, after I bought you that camera,” the raven explained with a tender sigh, gazing carefully at Prompto’s suddenly startled features, “You gotta understand, Prom; I don’t want that. I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing something with me. It doesn’t matter how many cameras I buy you, or how many dates I take you on, or even just that I’m King; I’d only ever want you to be kissing me because you wanted to.”

Prompto seemed to be genuinely stunned by his response, taking a few seconds before attempting to speak. “You actually… care about me that much?”

“Of course, I do!” Noctis breathed out, exasperated by the fact that the blonde had been convinced otherwise. “Prom, after all this time, I have never found somebody that I can so easily be myself with until you. There has not been a single person who has ever made me feel the way you do. So of course, I care about you. It's because I want to hold onto you.”

“Noct…" the blonde whispered out unsteadily, his voice seemingly dazed, "would you really be fine with somebody like me? I mean- you’re royalty. An actual king. You could have anybody you wanted, rich or famous.”

“I don’t care if you don’t have money, or if you aren’t a celebrity,” Noctis immediately responded, his features resolute, “You’re someone I can geek out about King’s Knight and Assassin’s Creed to, someone who is fine with me just the way that I am, someone who actually treats me like an ordinary person, and not just some royal object—that’s what matters to me.”

“Noct, you have to realize that we just met, right?” Prompto added faintly, “Aren’t you worried that I’m like- I dunno, crazy?”

“Not really,” the king admitted truthfully, a small smile gradually blossoming onto his face, “And honestly, I couldn’t be more thrilled that I just met you, Prom; it simply means that I have all the more time to discover just how adorable you can be.”

Despite himself, the comment still had Prompto abruptly blushing like mad. “I don’t think that’s how these things work, Noct.”

“I don’t care how things are supposed to work; I much prefer simply getting what I want. And that’s you, Prompto. You do all these things to me, and I’m seriously falling for you.”

Prompto seemed to be at an absolute loss for words, his irises wavering delicately. “…This has to be some very weird, baffling dream.”

“Well, whatever it is, I just know that it can work,” the king stated adamantly as he felt his heart gleam within his chest, “Whenever you’re free, you could come and spend time with me in the Citadel, or I could take you out to some of my favourite arcades. We could go on a vacation outside of Insomnia and across Lucis, where we’d fish and camp and go on crazy photo ops together, and so much more."

“B-But-“ Prompto stammered out shakily, “I have to work a lot, and I wouldn’t be able to see you all of the time, and- well, that would bother you, right?”

“Prom, there’s no way I’d get in the way of your work," the raven assured as he placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, "We could still call each other during breaks, and text whenever we want to. And when you have to leave the city for those work trips of yours, for however long it takes, you wouldn't have to feel lonely anymore, because…” Noctis paused slightly, staring right into Prompto’s shimmering eyes, “I could be that special someone for you to come back to.”

“...Can I kiss you, Noct?” Prompto blurted out suddenly.

Noctis’ breath fell short, the abrupt question leaving him completely stunned.

Prompto's cheeks immediately flamed over as he realized what he had just done. “I’m- I’m so sorry, that was-“

“Prompto…” the king interrupted in a blunt voice, the very sight of the blonde’s flustered features enough to make him boil over with delectable affection, “What would you say to being on the front cover of your own magazine?”

“…Um.”

Noctis didn't even wait for a proper answer, the king swiftly closing the distance between their lips as a collective gasp from the leering people around them resonated, their phones probably all but jumping into their hands as their ruler fervently kissed this random male right in front of them.

The tabloids would have a field day with the very concept of it. His and Prompto’s faces would be plastered all over social media, the countless articles sure to be beyond ridiculous. Ignis would be furious at his blatant disregard for his public image. Gladiolus would without a doubt be making fun of him for weeks on end.

And yet at the feeling of Prompto tenderly returning his kiss and pulling him in closer without a word needing to be said, the king quickly discovered that he truly couldn’t care less, and merely embraced the blonde as tightly as he could, the rest of the world be damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of my readers just so happen to be camera gurus that are frothing at the mouth after reading through what makes Prompto’s new camera so great, yes, my brainless, experience-less self did in fact google and DIY the hell out of all of those “qualities”, so pretty please, don’t come at me XD
> 
> I would also love to hear what you all thought about this story, so feel free to criticize my conceptual errors down below lol ^^'
> 
> NEVERTHELESS, I GIVE EVEN MORE HUGS TO YOU, WONDROUS IRMA!!! <333333333
> 
> *additional hugs to everyone*


End file.
